NAMI is the National Alliance on Mental Illness

Mental illness affects everyone. Nearly 60 million Americans experience a MENTAL HEALTH condition every year. Regardless of race, age, religion or economic status, mental illness impacts the lives of at least one in four adults and one in 10 children across the United States.

People living with mental illness need help and hope: they need a community that supports them, their families and their recovery.

Because mental illness devastates the lives of so many Americans, NAMI works every day to save every life.

NAMI is the National Alliance on Mental Illness, the nation’s largest grassroots MENTAL HEALTH organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness. NAMI advocates for access to services, treatment, supports and research and is steadfast in its commitment to RAISE awareness and build a community for hope for all of those in need.

NAMI is the foundation for hundreds of NAMI State Organizations, NAMI Affiliates and volunteer leaders who work in local communities across the country to raise awareness and provide essential and free education, advocacy and support group programs.

Learn more about NAMI’s work and accomplishments by watching our brief video: Since its inception in 1979, NAMI has established itself as the most formidable grassroots MENTAL HEALTH advocacy organization in the country. Dedication, steadfast commitment and unceasing belief in the NAMI's mission have produced profound changes.

NAMI has been the driving force behind a national investment in lifesaving research, parity for MENTAL HEALTH care, increased housing and to ensure that treatments and services are available to those in need when they need them most.

NAMI awareness efforts have successfully addressed the stigma of mental illness, ensuring the decrease of barriers to treatment and recovery. NAMI’s signature EDUCATION PROGRAMS have served as a beacon of hope for hundreds of thousands of families and individuals.

And NAMI’s support efforts expand to meet the challenges of a changing world by supporting VIRTUAL COMMUNITIES of help and hope to millions through NAMI.org and NAMI’s social media channels.

As the need remains, so will NAMI. NAMI offers the understanding that only those with the lived experience of mental illness can provide. Together with our grassroots volunteers, we work every day to provide help and hope to millions of Americans.

Support, Education, Awareness, Advocacy, Research

Every day, we reach out and respond to those in need.

As the navigator of our nine signature EDUCATION PROGRAMS, offered in thousands of communities across America through our NAMI State Organizations NAMI Affiliates, we ensure hundreds of thousands of families, individuals and educators are served. NAMI is tireless in our efforts to equip and train grassroots volunteer facilitators who provide individual and family support groups in thousands of communities across America. Through the toll-free NAMI HelpLine, we respond personally to hundreds of thousands of requests each year, providing free referral, information and support—a much-needed lifeline for many.

By responding to current news events as they happen, NAMI ensures that media reporting is compassionate, understanding and accurate in portrayals of mental illness—NAMI promotes solutions.

Each day, NAMI effectively shapes the national public policy landscape for people with mental illness and their families and equips grassroots volunteer leaders with the tools, resources and skills necessary to save mental health in all states.

NAMI reaches out to our country’s youth and young adults, helping to shape the next generation’s experiences with recovery, encouraging a better tomorrow for all Americans.

Recognizing the unique needs of our American heroes and their families, NAMI aggressively reaches out to help offer free and essential NAMI education and support group programs in thousands of local communities.

NAMI actively promotes mental HEALTH CARE, support and a caring community for our veterans, their spouses and their children.

Tirelessly promoting research, as they have done for decades, NAMI ensures solutions for early intervention, improved treatments and, eventually, a cure for mental illness.

Continuing to build and cultivate VIRTUAL COMMUNITIES that reach millions of Americans who turn to NAMI through NAMI.org and social media channels for the latest INFORMATION on treatment, services, supports, advocacy, research happenings, NAMI works every day to offer inspiration, information and encouragement.

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